One of the most loved forms of TV shows in the 1980s were the primetime soap operas like Dallas and Dynasty. New 80s TV shows were added such as the sitcoms (The Cosby Show and Married… With Children) and the animated sitcoms (The Simpsons). Miami Vice and other crime dramas had a big impact on what could be seen on TV. Cable producers made shows for every social category: the yuppies found satisfaction in programs like Thirtysomething and women watched shows like Cagney & Lacey and Kate & Allie. African Americans could delight themselves by watching Cosby and A Different World or by staying up late for Arsenio Hall or Saturday Night Live with Eddie Murphy. The elder viewers had Matlock and The Golden Girls. 80s TV shows made way for David Letterman TV talk show host who changed the themes of discussion by making them more provocative. This can be easily understood if we think about the enormous pressure that TV producers had to face. They were required to bring new and interesting shows on display in order to catch the viewer’s attention and they also speculated different age sectors by producing TV shows for children and for teenagers.

The 80s TV theme changed from family oriented subjects to more dynamic and outrageous programs. Sensationalism began to take the place of quality programming. The use of street language, nudity and situations that appealed to the basic instinct of a human were all qualities of TV shows of the 80s. Cartoons in the 1980′s began to get more violent (Ninja Turtles). Comedies included famous shows like Dukes of Hazard, Mork and Mindy, Night Court, Growing Pains, The Cosby Show and Three’s Company. Television of the 80s had drastically changed from what people were used to in the 60s and 70s, but it was merely nothing in comparison to what the television of 2000 had brought. The difference between TV shows then and now is that obscenity, nudity, violence and sexual themes are basic components of programs in the present decade.

One popular 80s TV theme was the law. Miami Vice fueled the war on drugs in an age where TV programs tried to avoid everything that had to do with the real war, the Cold War. Cable producer brought everything from cartoons to actions shows, family comedies with a clever twist and dramas. MTV mesmerized teenagers by showing them music videos with special effects and plotlines. The 1980s also marked the beginning of reality TV with shows like America’s Most Wanted and The People’s Court and long lasting movie sagas like Star Trek and thousands-of-episodes-long series like The Bold and the Beautiful. Oprah will mark her debut in 1985 and over 105 million American will watch the final episode of MASH, one of the biggest successes of 80s TV series.

Some of the best-selling 80s music artists were Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Prince, Madonna and bands like AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran and Police. Teen pop boy bands like New Kids on the Block found their glory in the 80′s along with hip hop legends such as Run DMC. This decade allowed a big number of artists who were formerly members in a band to launch their solo careers. Music experts blame it on the materialism of those years, but they cannot deny the successful songs that exploded in the music charts. Some of the best solo artists of the 80′s include Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Lionel Richie, George Michael, Don Henley, Belinda Carlisle, Sting, Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins.

The 80s pop music is also associated with electronic or synthpop music and it continued the trends of the pop culture that began in the 70′s. 80s rock music began to infiltrate into mainstream when bands such as U2, The Cure, R.E.M., New Order started getting famous. They were accompanied by the very popular Guns N’ Roses and, in the late 80′s, by Aerosmith who made a powerful comeback. Heavy metal was represented in the era by Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne, while older rock groups like The Beach Boys, The Kinks and Steve Miller Band made a comeback and launched successful hits. The MTV decade introduced the cult of the music video, promoting artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna. Their videos were broadcasted globally and reached millions of viewers. 80s dance music replaced the orchestras of the 70s with synthesizers, turning Duran Duran into one of the famous pop bands of the decade.

A list of the best songs of the 80′s includes these next songs:
1. Bon Jovi – “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986)
2. Def Leppard – “Pour Some Sugar On Me” (1987)
3. Duran Duran – “Hungry Like the Wolf” (1982)
4. Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean” (1982)
5. Prince – “When Doves Cry” (1984)
6. Hall & Oates – “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” (1981)
7. Guns N’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)
8. Madonna – “Like a Virgin” (1984)
9. Run-D.M.C. – “Walk This Way” (1986)
10. AC/DC – “You Shook Me All Night Long” (1980)

Music of the 80′s was characterized by innovation and sexual maturation. Duran Duran had a video which was banned by MTV because of its sexual content. Bands began to get political and sing about war and famine. Protest songs and Cold War songs were a constant presence in the music of the 80s, carrying on Bob Marley legacy whose death marked the beginning of the decade. Bands like AC/DC and artist like Prince sang about ending the war and equality between all the countries of the world helping the best 80s music to survive the mark of time.

If anything good came out of the 1980′s, it was classic 80s movies. No other decade can compare to the sheer volume of creativity and still-persisting talent introduced to the world during those ten years. Movies of the 80s paved the way for a large amount of blockbusters currently being made, and horror 80s movies are still being mimicked in style and scares to much positive reception. The 1980′s introduced the world to the ‘high-concept’ art of film, where plots were simple and easily approachable by audiences. A few examples of these emerged in the late ’70s, but the practice was put to full use in movies in the 80s.

However, these were hardly the best 80s movies. With so many classics made during this time, pinpointing the best is no easy task, but correlations can be made between many of the top films that showcases why they were so popular. At the top of any list is E.T., Steven Spielberg’s tear-jerking masterpiece about a lost alien befriended by a, somewhat similarly lost group of kids. This film is one of the first movies made for kids that also appealed to adults, even though throughout the film, the adults were made the enemies. The fear of being lost and the desire to be home is a subject that anybody in the world could identify with, and the childlike endearment of the alien itself made it less a science fiction film and more a portrait of the American family.

Another example of the best 80s movies was Batman, one of the first films adapted from a comic that was a blockbuster. The success of Tim Burton’s adaption has created confidence in movie studios to produce more films based off comic book characters, many of them grossing well into the millions of dollars. The start of the Batman franchise gave Christopher Nolan the chance to create The Dark Night, what many consider the pinnacle of comic-book to film adaptions.

No list of movies of the 80s would be complete without acknowledging the horror 80s movies. One of the scariest films ever created, Poltergeist, was a product of this decade. Growing off of the popularity of Ghostbusters, also made in the 80s, Tobe Hooper took the humor and fun out of the afterlife and threw it, quite literally, into the public’s television sets.

The 80′s also introduced the world to the magic of computer generated effects with The Abyss, James Cameron’s epic spin on the age-old monster story, sinking it deep into the Pacific ocean and mixing extraterrestrial elements in as well. The Abyss was the first film to render a human face using computer graphics, and has launched thousands of copy-cats. Cameron even developed the technology for that specific film, which would later be used to create Terminator 2 and Titanic.

These are all just a small selection of what the 80s provided for the film industry, but from these films came many of the classics that represent their decades. These are the classic 80s movies for just that reason; they pioneered the movement for “high concept” films that studios churn out by the dozen, and helped reassure a public leaning away from celluloid that the movie-making business was not only going to stick around for a long time, but was going to be one of the greatest sources of income of all time.

In the most simple definition, 80s hair styles were big, and while they were often unique enough to deserve their own names, many did not have such classification. Instead, they mimicked popular artists, either musical or in film, and were categorized as such. Men with long, clean hair were said to have 80s metal hair, named so after such metal bands as White Snake and Duran Duran. These were symmetrical, often grown past the shoulders, and had layers upon layers of curls and texture. Men would use blow-dryers to “blow out” the style so as to create grand manes surrounding clean-shaven faces. This was also labeled as 80s band hair, for rock music soared in popularity, and with it came the act of head-banging to the beat, the hair as important to this dance as the music invoking it.

Woman’s 80s style hair was similar, blown-out with a hair dryer and permeated through with hair spray and other products to give it endless bounce and just enough lift so that it would stick out from the head but still allow styling. Women would not be afraid to be compared to such bands as Poison, since the members of Poison styled their hair like the women of the ’80s, a type of endless loop that left hair getting larger and larger until eventually it became a mockery of itself and the trend slowly, but not completely, died. By the 90′s, woman’s styles began to calm down, with such musicians as Sinead O’ Conner shaving her head completely and Madonna finally taming her mane (but not her antics or music).

As the larger hair gave way, extreme fashions did not. The side ponytail became a popular style, as did the top of the head being teased into a pouf while the sides remained short, or at least shorter. New Wave hair styles were among the last to emerge from the 80′s, characterized by asymmetrical cuts and straightened bangs extending past the eyes. While the trend of the big hair has come and gone, remnants of 80s hair styles still persist today, and can even be said to be making a come back, depending on what side of the opinion one is on.

One of the best classic 80s arcade games was Donkey Kong. The game was developed in Japan and is loosely based on the King Kong movie. One of the reasons the game was successful was that Donkey Kong was one of the first 80s video games to feature a story line and included breaks where animation helped to tell the story. The game play does not afford many choices to a player, but the varying degree of difficulty makes the game very fun to play. Essentially a platform game, the goal is to move the player, Mario, from the base of the screen to where the damsel is being held captive at the top. The platforms have ladders and a player must use a combination of these ladders and jumping to make his way up to the top of the scree. To make things more difficult, there are many obstacles and the villain, Donkey Kong, continuously hurls barrels at the player. In addition to the arcade version, the gaming console versions were also a hit as many players found little difference between playing the two classic 80s games. This game has also enjoyed a revival in popularity due to the success of The King of Kong, a documentary film that follows a player as he attempts to get the highest recorded score of all time.

Another one of the classic 80s arcade games is Star Wars. The game was made as part of the movie franchise and allows players to relive the scene where the Death Star is attacked. In the game, a gamer plays the role of Luke Skywalker and must command a fighter spacecraft through different levels. Star Wars is set in a first person viewpoint and the player must avoid all the obstacles to advance to the next levels. It is not necessary to shoot and destroy everything. The game was popular for many reasons. One such reason was the connection with the movie Star Wars. This movie is one of the most popular of all time and fans of the movie who were also gamers naturally flocked to the game. In addition, the game used graphics that were different from any other game and thus created a different playing experience. According to some sources, Star Wars is the fourth most popular arcade game ever, joining the ranks of such classic 80s games as Pac-Man and Centipede. 80s classic games are considered to be the pinnacle of the arcade culture.

By far one of the most popular 80s games of the decade and possibly the most popular arcade game of all time was Pac-Man. This game was released to the public in 1980 and was an immediate success. One of the reasons that it enjoyed such widespread popularity was its inclusion into pop culture. The simple Pac-Man symbol appeared on t-shirts, in commercials, and even on coffee mugs, leading to a phenomenon known as Pac-Mania. At the height of Pac-Mania, a televised cartoon was produced and a Pac-Man song was one of the top ten songs in the country. When compared to previous games, Pac-Man was very different. Instead of space-based games, Pac-Man was set on a labyrinthine grid and featured abstract characters. The game play is very simple as a player attempts to eat all the dots without being touched by a ghost. This simplicity combined with increasingly difficult levels made for a highly addictive game.

Another one of the 80s arcade games that enjoyed widespread acclaim was Centipede. While it was not quite as popular as Pac-Man, the game drew many players to arcades. Like the majority of 80s video games, Centipede was relatively simple. The player controls a small character that is located at the base of the screen and is able to fire shots to the top of the screen. Scattered on the play field are random mushrooms. The game play begins when a long centipede begins at the top of the screen and works its way to the bottom. The goal is to shoot all segments of the centipede before it reaches the bottom and touches the player. One aspect that set Centipede apart from other 80s video games was the use of a trackball to control the player. Most games of this time used a joystick for controls. Centipede became part of popular culture when a board game was released. In addition, music artists The Strokes made use of the game’s artwork on the cover of one of their singles.

Although 80s video games were extremely popular during the decade, the era of arcades came to a close towards the end of the decade as the technology for home gaming systems finally reached an equal level of quality with their arcade counterparts. For this reason, many gamers began staying home to play rather than going to arcades. Despite the decrease in popularity of arcades, the 80s games like Pac-Man and Centipede remain a part of popular culture.

There are many different items that epitomize 80s mens fashion. There are the items such as the ‘shell suits’ which were basically workout clothes. These nylon outfit had matching tops and bottoms that tended to be very colorful. There were meant to be gym outfits but then they became everyday lounge wear. Another item that is still remembered are the leggings. These items clung to the legs in a tight lycra or spandex material and allowed women to stay warm while still showing off their legs. These also allowed for leg warmers, a huge part of hip hop 80s fashion clothes. Leg warmers are on the key components of any classic 80s fashion get up. A lot of people wore spandex in the 80s. For some reason it was ok for a guy to wear spandex bike shorts around town. It seems as thought people enjoyed showing off their stuff to everyone through the material.

One of the biggest fads and trends of the age were the acid washed jeans. These jeans were bleached with acid in order to make them white in patches. There were also available torn up, a fashion statement of the 80s. Hair was also a big part of 80s fashion punk. Many people would die their hair or spike it up in order to be counter culture. There were always a ton of punks that wore outrageous hair dos. Most of the time these people had neon colored hair and spent a huge amount of time getting their hair perfect. One offshoot of this was the poodle perm. This was a regrettable fashion trend that no one really liked, but is easy to do if you are interested in looking like the 80s.

There are a lot of things about 80′s fashion that people continue to love. Many of the different items such as the leg warmers and acid washed jeans will probably not make a comback. But it is impossible to know since bell bottoms came back as ‘boot cut’. Some parts of 80s mens fashion are likely never to come back, such as the spandex. These items and fashions were a big part of the 80s fashion treands that some people love and may come around again.

While there were a number of different types of radio stations in the 80s, certain niche variations existed with considerable success. One such niche was the college radio market. These stations often featured students as deejays and the music was often an eclectic mix of whatever the student felt like playing on that particular day. The randomness of this format attracted many viewers who did not enjoy a station focused on a single type of music. In addition, the 80s saw the emergence of morning talk radio. Syndicated shows featuring shock jocks such as Howard Stern and Don Imus quickly became a favorite for the morning drive to work.

80s radio stations also played a very different role in society than the current stations found on airwaves. Before the advent of the internet, radio stations were a constant source of information for listeners. In addition to keeping listeners informed about upcoming live concerts and other entertainment options, these radio stations were also used as a means of transmitting important community information. School closings and detailed traffic reports were an essential part of the morning routine as families would prepare for the day.

While 70s radio stations often featured disco and pop as the main musical styles, the 80s saw radio stations transitioning to more new wave and rock and roll music as well as newly emerging genres such as hip-hop and electronic music. The primary 80s radio music was a type of synthesized rock that is characterised today as 80s music. The transition from 70s radio stations also included more interaction with listeners as many stations had frequent and popular contests requiring listeners to call in to the show. Prizes such as tickets to concerts, clothing, and even money attracted more and more listeners to this golden age of radio.

Radio has always had a large place in popular culture, but this trend seems to be fading. Radio has been passed by the internet as the primary source of music and running a good radio station is quietly becoming a lost art. As radio stations depend on advertising revenue to support the broadcasts, they are having to split this market with internet radio station websites. Also, the computer company Apple’s introduction has changed the way that the population listens to music, with more and more people choosing to make their own playlists instead of listening to the ones on the airwaves. 80s radio stations were the pinnacle of radio achievement, but listening to radio in general is sadly becoming a thing of the past.

80s movies continue to be popular today. There were a lot of different genres represented. A huge segment of the movies were around teen angst and were made by John Hughes. He was the director of such famous films as ‘The Breakfast Club’ and Mr. Mom. He also did films like Uncle Buck and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. These are classic films that are part of our movie heritage. Scenes from these films are still shown today and include the classic shot from Say Anything where John Cusack is holding a stereo aloft to attempt to get his girl back. Actually, you would not call it a stereo. It should more aptly be named a boom box, to go along with the 80s theme.

80s music is still distinctive today. Groups such as Journey and Bon Jovi were very popular. Some have been able to make the transition such as U2 while others have been lost, such as Gun N Roses. Many of the groups used a lot of electronic music to augment their performances. The drum machine became popular among groups as well as the synthesizer. Many different groups would use a keyboard guitar, a new 80s invention that is no longer played. The musicians would have huge hair and use a lot of make up to create a huge scene. Hip and rap really got a huge boost in the 80s with rappers like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice. These groups changed the face of music for the future and allowed for a much wider audience. Also, the CD came out and made distribution of music much easier.

There are a lot of things about the 80′s that people continue to love. It was definitely a time of experimentation with new materials, new media, new music and new fashions. People used the higher tech materials and changed how things were done. Many new processes were developed for good and bad uses. This made for some interesting 80s fashions as well as other practices. But change is always good and can be remembered fondly. ABC 80s stuff is a great place to help remember the 80s and be a part of history.

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